{"id":5713,"date":"2014-09-30T20:13:22","date_gmt":"2014-09-30T20:13:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/irish\/?p=5713"},"modified":"2015-05-26T01:07:10","modified_gmt":"2015-05-26T01:07:10","slug":"mior-cat-agus-suri-cata-gleoiteacht","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/irish\/mior-cat-agus-suri-cata-gleoiteacht\/","title":{"rendered":"\u2018M\u00edor\u201d + \u201ccat\u201d agus \u201csuri\u201d + \u201ccata\u201d = gleoiteacht!"},"content":{"rendered":"

(le R\u00f3isl\u00edn)<\/p>\n

\"An<\/a>

An ‘cait’ iad seo? (grianghraf: http:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/sara_joachim\/3166714756\/in\/photostream ag http:\/\/commons.wikimedia.org\/wiki\/File:Suricates,_Namibia-2.jpg)<\/p><\/div>\n

I see that my previous cat blog (4 M\u00ed na Nollag 2013<\/strong>) has been reposted (Cats Galore in Irish (Cait, Cait\u00edn\u00ed, Pisc\u00edn\u00ed, Pis\u00edn\u00ed, srl.)<\/a>, so I thought this might be a good time to look at another \u201ccat\u201d word, \u201cmeerkat,\u201d in Irish. And also to look into where the Latin taxonomical name, Suricata<\/em>, came from. Some kind of cat, cinnte<\/strong>, but \u201cSuri\u201d?<\/p>\n

Aside from providing a possible heyday for young Suri Cruise, one wonders what does \u201csuricata<\/em>\u201d as such mean. An bhfuil baint ar bith idir<\/strong> \u201cSuri,\u201d ainm in\u00edon <\/strong>Katie Holmes agus <\/strong>Tom Cruise agus an \u201csuri-\u201c san fhocal \u201csuricata\u201d? Fanaig\u00ed go bhfeice muid!<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cSuri\u201d as a girl\u2019s name has several explanations, which I\u2019ll give here in Irish, just for beag\u00e1in\u00edn d\u00fashl\u00e1in<\/strong> [doo-hlawn]:<\/p>\n

1) banphrionsa (Eabhrais); baint leis an ainm<\/strong> \u201cSarah,\u201d a chialla\u00edonn \u201cbanphrionsa\u201d freisin, is d\u00f3cha. B\u2019fh\u00e9idir gur cuimhin leat gurb \u00ed sin an chiall taobh thiar den ainm<\/strong> Sara Crewe sa leabhar<\/strong> A Little Princess<\/em> le<\/strong> Frances Hodgson Burnett \u2013 t\u00e1<\/strong> Sara Crewe cos\u00fail le banphrionsa.<\/strong><\/p>\n

2) r\u00f3s dearg (Peirsis)<\/strong><\/p>\n

Agus c\u00fapla ciall nach raibh i gceist ag<\/strong> Katie agus<\/strong> Tom, is d\u00f3cha:<\/strong><\/p>\n

peasghada\u00ed (Seap\u00e1inis)<\/strong><\/p>\n

coirc\u00a0(Vein\u00e9isis)<\/strong><\/p>\n

g\u00e9araithe, \u00f3n bhriathar \u201cg\u00e9araigh\u201d (Fraincis, foirm den bhriathar <\/strong>\u201csurir\u201d<\/em>)<\/strong><\/p>\n

And how about \u201cSuricata<\/em>\u201d and the word \u201cmeerkat\u201d as such? I pondered the idea that the \u201csuri\u201d part might be related to the \u201cmeer\u201d with the \u2013cata\/-kat\/-cat part in common, as a suffix, but, no, that would have been way too logical.<\/p>\n

Here are some keypoints about meerkats, described mostly in Irish, le haghaidh an d\u00fashl\u00e1in<\/strong> [le hai un doo-hlaw-in]<\/p>\n

    \n
  1. a) N\u00ed cait iad na m\u00edorchait. T\u00e1 siad \u201c *catchruthach \u201d <\/strong>[KAHT-KHRUH-hukh] ach n\u00ed cait iad. <\/strong>For \u201ccatchruthach,\u201d <\/strong>which I don\u2019t think you\u2019ll find in any dictionary (at least I can\u2019t), please see note 1 below.<\/li>\n
  2. b) Gael\u00fa ar <\/strong>\u201cmeer\u201d<\/em> \u00e9 \u201cm\u00edor-.\u201d N\u00ed gn\u00e1thfhocal i nGaeilge \u00e9 \u201cm\u00edor\u201d (breis eolais uait? f\u00e9ach n\u00f3ta 2 th\u00edos) ach tagann <\/strong>\u201cmeer\u201d \u00f3n fhocal Ollainnise <\/strong>\u201cmeer\u201d<\/em> (\u201cloch,\u201d cos\u00fail leis an <\/strong>\u201c-mere\u201d i <\/strong>Windermere, srl.)<\/strong><\/li>\n
  3. c) N\u00edl baint ag m\u00edorchait le locha c\u00e9 go gcialla\u00edonn <\/strong>\u201cmeer\u201d<\/em> \u201cloch.\u201d <\/strong>(Natch!)<\/li>\n
  4. d) N\u00ed thugann na h\u00cdsilt\u00edrigh <\/strong>\u201cmeerkat\u201d ar na m\u00edorchait ach <\/strong>\u201cstokstaartje\u201d<\/em> (\u201cbatarubaill\u00edn,\u201d mar dhea). An f\u00e9idir leis an sc\u00e9al seo a bheith n\u00edos casta?<\/strong><\/li>\n
  5. e) Is \u00ed \u201can tSiria\u201d an chiall at\u00e1 ag an chuid <\/strong>\u201csuri\u201d<\/em> den ainm Laidine <\/strong>\u201csuricata.\u201d<\/em> Ach c\u00e9n f\u00e1th \u201can tSiria\u201d m\u00e1 bh\u00edonn c\u00f3na\u00ed ar na m\u00edorchait in iardheisceart na hAfraice? N\u00edl freagra na ceiste sin agamsa!<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    Next, since we\u2019ve explored c\u00falra<\/strong> and gael\u00fa<\/strong> for the word \u2018m\u00edorchat,<\/strong>\u201d let\u2019s look at its different forms. The good news is that it works pretty much like the word \u201ccat<\/strong>\u201d itself, first declension, masculine:<\/p>\n

    an m\u00edorchat<\/strong>, the meerkat,<\/p>\n

    an mh\u00edorchait<\/strong>, of the meerkat; main\u00e9ar an mh\u00edorchait<\/strong> (the manor of the meerkat)<\/p>\n

    na m\u00edorchait<\/strong>, the meerkats<\/p>\n

    na m\u00edorchat,<\/strong> of the meerkats; main\u00e9ar na m\u00edorchat<\/strong> (the manor of the meerkats; nasc don chl\u00e1r teilif\u00edse<\/strong> Meerkat Manor<\/em> th\u00edos<\/strong>)<\/p>\n

    Apparently the meerkat young can be called \u201cmeerkittens,\u201d even though \u201cmeerkats\u201d aren\u2019t cats. It seems too cute to be true, but there are 63,800 hits for \u201cmeerkitten\u201d in my preliminary Google search for it. So should the Irish be \u201cm\u00edorphisc\u00edn<\/strong>,\u201d based on \u201cpisc\u00edn,<\/strong>\u201d the usual Irish word for \u201ckitten\u201d? Or \u201cm\u00edorphis\u00edn<\/strong>,\u201d since \u201cpis\u00edn<\/strong>\u201d is a variation of \u201cpisc\u00edn<\/strong>\u201d? Or \u201cm\u00edorchait\u00edn<\/strong>,\u201d which could also mean \u201csmall meerkat\u201d?<\/p>\n

    Other sources I looked at for this blog say that the young of the meerkats are called \u201ccubs,\u201d so that would be \u201ccoile\u00e1in<\/strong>.\u201d \u201cCoile\u00e1n<\/strong>\u201d also means \u201cpuppy,\u201d and is typically used for the young of dogs and foxes.<\/p>\n

    So that seems to bring us to a full circle \u2026 of some sort. \u201cMeerkats\u201d aren\u2019t cats but the English apparently borrowed name for them from a Dutch word that seems like \u201ccat.\u201d But the Dutch (Nederlands) word for them actually means \u201clittle stick-tail.\u201d The Latin taxonomical name, Suricata<\/em>, introduces a connection to Syria, which doesn\u2019t seem geographically plausible. And while some people refer to \u201cmeerkittens,\u201d the more technical term for their young seems to be \u201ccub.\u201d None of the variations of \u201cm\u00edorphisc\u00edn<\/strong>\u201d that I could think of yielded any results in Google searching (leniting, substituting “pis\u00edn”<\/strong> and “cait\u00edn<\/strong>” for \u201cpisc\u00edn<\/strong>,\u201d etc.)<\/p>\n

    C\u2019est la vie! Suimi\u00fail, ar a laghad.<\/strong> And whatever the history of the word itself, the meerkats certainly give cats and kitten a run for their money as far as cuteness (gleoiteacht<\/strong>) goes. Next up, b\u2019fh\u00e9idir, \u201c *faoileoir\u00ed si\u00facra\u201d? C\u00e9 acu is gleoite? A Vicki? \u2018S ise an t-aon duine amh\u00e1in a bhfuil aithne agam uirthi a bhfuil faoileoir\u00ed si\u00facra mar pheata\u00ed aici! \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0SGF — R\u00f3isl\u00edn<\/strong><\/p>\n

    N\u00f3ta<\/strong> 1: I patterned the word \u201c *catchruthach<\/strong> \u201c on words like \u201csn\u00e1thchruthach<\/strong>\u201d (filiform) and \u201cubhchruthach<\/strong>\u201d (egg-shaped). It means \u201cfeliform,\u201d which can be an adjective or a noun.<\/p>\n

    N\u00f3ta 2: Is fo-leagan den fhocal \u201cm\u00edr\u00b4<\/strong>(piece) \u00e9 \u201cm\u00edor\u201d ach n\u00ed h\u00e9 an gn\u00e1thlitri\u00fa \u00e9. N\u00ed bhaintear m\u00f3r\u00e1n \u00fas\u00e1ide as, i mo thaith\u00ed f\u00e9in.<\/strong><\/p>\n

    Nasc don chl\u00e1r teilifse<\/strong> Meerkat Manor<\/em>:\u00a0http:\/\/www.meerkatmanor.co.uk\/<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"\"\"

    (le R\u00f3isl\u00edn) I see that my previous cat blog (4 M\u00ed na Nollag 2013) has been reposted (Cats Galore in Irish (Cait, Cait\u00edn\u00ed, Pisc\u00edn\u00ed, Pis\u00edn\u00ed, srl.), so I thought this might be a good time to look at another \u201ccat\u201d word, \u201cmeerkat,\u201d in Irish. And also to look into where the Latin taxonomical name, Suricata…<\/p>\n

    Continue Reading<\/a><\/p>","protected":false},"author":36,"featured_media":5716,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"content-type":""},"categories":[3898],"tags":[359088,9037,359098,359082,4577,359064,359073,359105,359080,359076,359093,359104,305911,3608,359109,359106,359066,359075,359083,359092,359091,359065,5507,359084,359096,5747,2241,359077,359081,229646,359100,359069,95262,359067,359068,359103,24625,359101,359102,359062,290050,46880,359087,34605,359085,11950,228889,359074,359090,359097,359107,359063,359071,359070,359072,359089,359078,359099,359108,359095],"class_list":["post-5713","post","type-post","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-irish-language","tag-angel-shark","tag-banphrionsa","tag-batarubailllin","tag-burnett","tag-cat","tag-cata","tag-catchruthach","tag-coilean","tag-crewe","tag-cruise","tag-cruthach","tag-cub","tag-cuteness","tag-dutch","tag-egg-shaped","tag-faoileoir-siucra","tag-feliform","tag-filiform","tag-frances","tag-gearaigh","tag-gearu","tag-gleoiteacht","tag-hebrew","tag-hodgson","tag-isiltirigh","tag-italian","tag-japanese","tag-katie-holmes","tag-little-princess","tag-loch","tag-mainear","tag-manor","tag-meer","tag-meerkat","tag-meerkat-manor","tag-meerkitten","tag-mere","tag-mhiorchait","tag-miorchait","tag-miorchat","tag-ollainnis","tag-persian","tag-pickpocket","tag-princess","tag-red-rose","tag-sara","tag-sarah","tag-snathchruthach","tag-sour","tag-stokstaartje","tag-sugar-glider","tag-suri","tag-suricata","tag-suricate","tag-suricatta","tag-surir","tag-tom-cruise","tag-tsiria","tag-ubhchruthach","tag-windermere"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/irish\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5713","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/irish\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/irish\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/irish\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/36"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/irish\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=5713"}],"version-history":[{"count":14,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/irish\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5713\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":6725,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/irish\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5713\/revisions\/6725"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/irish\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/5716"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/irish\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=5713"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/irish\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=5713"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/irish\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=5713"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}